Christmas is is that time of year where everyone sits sits drinking drinking hot cocoa and reading The Night Before Christmas. At least, that’s what I imagined it to be like. This year, however, seemed different.

Maybe it’s the  new place. I did move in February so this is my first Christmas in a new place. We have no real traditions when it comes to going to see events and such. Of course, we’ll have the same events on Christmas but my grandparents will need to leave 15 minutes before they get to my house, and not nine hours before.

Or, it could be the weather. After all. in this part of the South, we’ve only gotten a fluttery snowfall and the stuff melted before it hit the ground. For the past eight Christmases, I’ve at least had some sort of snow adventure. I mean, really now. My previous city has been having snow since September.

However, the likely reason behind this is simple; When you’re a kid, Santa is like you worst nightmare and best friend all rolled into one. Do anything bad, and Santa is mentioned, but do anything good and you might get rewarded later down the line.

The spirit of Christmas may or may not be because of the presents; an iPod seems cooler than a Tickle Me Elmo doll any day, but what if when the toys change, we change? So, this Christmas all I want is a book. Maybe that’ll make Christmas go back to feeling the same again

Merry Christmas to those of you who celebrate it! And don’t forget to Ask A Homeschooler if you have any questions actually relating to homeschooling.

I’m not sure about all of you guys, but I go to gym class once a week. After about an hour of that, I’m off to dance class for another hour. So, by the time I’m done, I’m tired and sweaty and wanting a milkshake. But, that’s the only “true” exercise I do. Yeah, I’ll walk places and do some sit-ups every once in a while, but dance and gym are the main exercising I do. I’m not saying that if you’re not in gym class that you should be; all I’m saying is that I’ve benefited from it personally.

Here are some reasons that I think gym class is a good thing (for me, if not anyone else).

• Socialization;
  I met my best friend at gym class, so socialization is probably the main reason I like going, especially because all that “warm-up” stuff isn’t fun at all. But talking to your friends about the latest song from your favorite band or book is the best, and you’re not using up useless texts trying to get your point across.

• The Actual Exercise;
  Yes, I did say that the warm-up stuff isn’t fun (mostly because it involves muscles that I don’t have) and I do feel tired afterwards, but I also feel like I’ve done something good. Like the feeling you get when you give a candy-cane to someone or make someone smile, only it’s for yourself and you’re the one benefiting from it.

I could probably think of any number of reasons why gym class is something I love doing and would tell people about, but it would end up getting repetitive at some point, and those are the main reasons. So, if you’re interested in a gym (or P.E.) class, go do some searching! And don’t forget to Ask A Homeschooler if you have any questions regarding anything discussed today or any questions about homeschooling in general.

“Becoming yourself” may sound cheesy, but it’s true; it’s what happens when you know who you are and are okay with not being anyone else. It’s what happens when you’re comfortable in your own skin and don’t care what others might think of you. For some of us, even me sometimes, this is hard to do. I don’t know what it is about teenagers, but it seems like we all want to be perfect, but have you heard the expression, “Perfect is boring.”? That’s because it’s true. Now, I like to teach using quotes from other people, so here are some simple quotes that are also true about becoming yourself.

“Wanting to be someone else is a waste of the person you are.”

― Marilyn Monroe

“The greatest thing in the world is to know how to belong to oneself.”

― Michel de Montaigne, The Complete Essays

“Believe in yourself! Have faith in your abilities! Without a humble but reasonable confidence in your own powers you cannot be successful or happy.”

― Norman Vincent Peale

These are only a couple of quotes that I found, but the main “moral of the story” here is to just be yourself. As Andre Gide once said, “Be faithful to that which exists within yourself.” If you’re not okay with what you can and can’t do or can/can’t look like, then you’re not doing much. So be faithful to yourself and don’t let anyone take that faith away!

And if you’re having trouble with that, take a look at Jodi Picoult’s quote: “When you’re different, sometimes you don’t see the millions of people who accept you for what you are. All you notice is the person who doesn’t.” She says it better than anything that I could have said, but you should take it to heart. If you’re self-conscious or just not comfortable with yourself, you’ll only notice the one person who doesn’t accept you and not all the people who do.

If you hair isn’t straight and you want to go one day without having to wake up and immediately do it, then go a day without it! If you want to go a day without having to wear jeans, wear sweats! It’s not like the world will care if you don’t look perfect for one day.